Luxury in the Polish version. “It should be like a five-star hotel”

What is luxury in real estate today? It is no longer just a prestigious address, a spectacular view or a high price per square meter. More and more often, the uniqueness of an investment is determined by things that are not visible at first glance – the way the space is designed, the comfort of everyday life, the sense of privacy and the quality of services available to residents. The Polish premium market is clearly moving away from ostentatious wealth towards more conscious and discreet luxury.

– Luxury is no longer meters or price per meter – it is the quality of everyday life. Today, the richest people buy not so much real estate, but experience: good location, comfort and certainty that the project will deliver what it promises – says Bartosz Dąbrowski, Marketing Director of EKOPARK.

He emphasizes that the best addresses are a scarce commodity today, which is why projects offering more than just an attractive location are becoming more and more important.

– What also counts is personalization, common areas, wellness zones, concierge services – everything tailored to your lifestyle, not “for everyone.” There is also a clear division: premium is today a conscious choice of quality and capital security, not a showy luxury. Customers look hard at the foundations: location, workmanship and credibility of the developer – adds Dąbrowski.

Quiet luxury enters Poland

The quiet luxury trend has made a dizzying career in the world of fashion, but today it is also becoming more and more visible on the real estate market. It is a philosophy based on quality, timelessness and discretion, which replaces ostentatious display of status. Experts unanimously emphasize that the Polish market is just maturing for this approach, but the change is already very clear.

– This is a trend that dominates the contemporary luxury real estate market, is permanently embedded in it and is gradually redefining this segment. The evolution of buyer expectations is particularly visible for people who have been operating in this industry for years – and in my opinion, it has a strong generational component – says Fryderyk Bojdo, member of the management board of T17 sp. z o. o.

“Marian, it’s kind of luxurious here” – this famous sentence from the cult Polish comedy “Kogel-mogel” from the late 1980s was, in a way, a summary of the Polish version of luxury that has triumphed on the domestic real estate market for the last three decades. Its synonyms were primarily: large space, a wealth of more or less fake Ludwik cars, Kossak collections, and, over time, brand logos. Today, younger buyers who value comfort of life much more than ostentatious manifestations of wealth have an increasing influence on the market.

– In the past, luxury was manifested through villa dimensions, eye-catching details, gold plating, exposed logos of premium brands and ubiquitous glitter. This is the aesthetics typical of Generation According to Euromonitor forecasts, by 2030 even 30 percent. buyers of luxury goods will belong to the generation for which the true currency of luxury is experience, says Fryderyk Bojdo.

Similar changes are also visible on the Polish market.

– In Western European markets, quiet luxury is already obvious. We are still catching up, but we are doing it quickly – mainly because both the structure of customers and their awareness are changing – notes Piotr Grupiński, president of the management board of Internity.

In his opinion, expats, foreign investors and people operating in an international environment on a daily basis play an increasingly important role.

– Customers increasingly understand how the quality of the surroundings affects their everyday comfort – they pay attention to the city’s accessibility, culture, services, greenery and the way architecture organizes their lifestyle. When deciding to live in central locations, they expect a standard that has so far been associated with a single-family house: space, privacy, high-quality finishing and extensive amenities, such as wellness zones, a swimming pool or a gym. This shows that the premium market is no longer a simple “city or home” alternative, but is becoming an attempt to combine the best features of both worlds, says Piotr Grupiński.

He adds that global trends are already clearly defined. It is primarily biophilia, high safety standards, pro-ecological solutions, private well-being zones and even spaces for art or car collections.

– If the Polish market wants to be competitive, it must consistently meet these global standards – emphasizes Grupiński.

A five-star hotel instead of golden doorknobs

Modern luxury increasingly resembles the experience of staying in the best hotels. Residents expect not only a high standard of finishing, but also comprehensive services, privacy and spaces conducive to rest and work.

– In today’s premium real estate design, solutions offering experiences comparable to a stay in a five-star hotel are becoming mandatory. Generation Z grew up in a world of open borders, free travel and constant discovery of new places, which naturally shaped their cosmopolitan aspirations and global expectations, says Bojdo.

As he emphasizes, what matters is the quality of everyday life, well-being, sense of harmony and privacy.

– As a result, luxury ceases to be glitter and becomes an experience. Hence, among others quiet luxury domination. It is an unobtrusive luxury, based on light, proportion, material and comfort of use, not ostentation – adds the expert.

Amenities that a few years ago were reserved only for the best hotels are also becoming more and more important.

– It is important that the premium customer has everything at their fingertips, preferably on site or within a 5-minute walk, bike or car ride. I mean, for example, gyms, residents’ clubs, cinemas, theaters or spaces where you can simply relax. I would also add spaces for comfortable remote work, meeting places, space for reading the press or video contact – says Dawid Wrona, president of the management board of Archicom.

As he emphasizes, luxury is also increasingly combined with art.

– In our premium projects, we also go a step further, namely, we offer proximity to art at the highest, world-class level. At Archicom Collection, we emphasize that each project – M7 Apartments, Gutenberg Apartments or FLARE – has its own collection of works by the greatest artists, such as: Andy Warhol, Anish Kapoor and Helmut Newton. Thanks to this, residents take on the role of collectors. This takes projects to a higher level because it cannot be copied, this concept is well-thought-out and coherent. Amenities and art blend seamlessly and indicate how the customer can live, function and spend free time, enjoying luxury – explains Dawid Wrona.

Warsaw sets the pace, but luxury goes beyond the capital

Warsaw remains the largest premium real estate market, attracting both Polish and foreign capital. However, Tricity is also building its position more and more strongly, where the limited supply of attractive land additionally increases the prestige of new investments.

– Of course, Warsaw has the most premium customers, which – as the capital – attracts international and domestic capital. And this trend will certainly not change in the coming years, but Tricity is hot on Warsaw’s heels – says the president of the management board of Archicom.

And the leader here is the resort with the famous Monciak.

– For this reason, more and more clients are looking, for example, towards Sopot – a city that is limited by the number of attractive plots, but thus provides the opportunity to create intimate, boutique premium investments offering peace and a break from the typical city noise – sums up Wrona.

Of course, you have to pay for such a standard.

– Luxury requires a better, i.e. more expensive, location, space, resignation from maximizing PUM, extensive common areas and the highest quality materials – says Grupiński.

So how much does such luxury cost in the capital and how much outside it? The expert says directly that we are talking about six-figure amounts per square meter.

– In central locations in Warsaw, prices can reach several dozen, and in exceptional cases even over 100,000. PLN per square meter of premises. At the same time, in other large cities – such as Łódź, Kraków or Tricity – it is possible to offer a very high standard at more rational price ranges. Often less than 20 thousand. PLN per square meter – says Grupiński.

Experts agree that the Polish premium market is more and more similar to Western standards. Luxury is no longer about impressing others. It’s just supposed to make life better. And the iconic “Marian, it’s kind of luxurious here” is increasingly losing the particle “as if”.

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